The present invention relates to a toilet with modular vacuum-disposal system which includes a toilet bowl, a tank for the reception of a quantity of wastewater, a cut-off valve between the bowl outlet and the tank inlet, a vacuum generator connected to the tank, a tank inlet valve for the inlet of pressurized air to the tank, a tank discharge valve, a plurality of electrically-operated valves and control means.
Various types of vacuum-disposal toilets are known, for example for railways and the line. Such systems are generally installed at locations in which it is advisable to limit both the size and the consumption of the devices, and the design of the systems have been improving in this respect.
In particular, the toilets and their associated disposal systems have been made more compact, and a disposal system has been developed which has an intermediate wastewater tank associated with each toilet, inside which it is possible to cause selectively either a vacuum to suck in a charge of wastewater contained in the toilet, or a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure in order to expel the contents from the tank.
This partial vacuum and partial pressure design has reduced the consumption and size of the devices of the disposal system; however, especially while trying to make the systems more compact so that they occupy less space, assembly and maintenance have been made more difficult. For example, when one of the parts of the system has to be replaced or repaired, a large section of the assembly has to be disassembled, an operation which can take time, and it further requires that the maintenance personnel carry a high number of replacement parts.
In some cases, installation of the equipment is also a laborious operation, since the parts have to be fitted one after the other and all the connections made between them.
In the known compact systems which can be entirely factory-assembled before they are installed on the railway carriage or the like, installation is simplified, but the problem of maintenance is aggravated, because maintenance is either very complex or requires complete replacement of the equipment in the event of breakdown, the latter being a very costly solution.
The object of the present invention is to solve the mentioned drawbacks by developing a toilet with modular vacuum-disposal system which a compact and occupies a small space, while being at the same easy and inexpensive to assemble and maintain.
Another object is that the system can be adapted to the space available in each case, and that after installation it allows the addition of further modules, for example in order to increase its performance.
In accordance with these objectives, the toilet with vacuum-disposal system of this invention is characterised in that the aforesaid elements are grouped into at least a first module which includes the toilet bowl and the cut-off valve at the outlet from the toilet bowl, a second module which includes the tank, the vacuum generator, the tank inlet valve for pressurized air and the tank discharge valve, and a third module which includes said electrically-operated valves, and in that within each module the elements are joined together and have fixed connections between each other, while between one module and another there are fast-on hydraulic and pneumatic connections.
This modular system occupies a small space and at the same time allows simple and fast installation and maintenance operations. It thus solves the disadvantages mentioned in relation with installation and maintenance of the equipment, while it also presents other advantages, such as the ease with which the equipment can be extended after installation in order to improve its performance, and a remarkable improvement in industrialisation of the system, thanks to the possibility of manufacturing some basic modules and combining them in different ways according to the specific needs of each case.
The modularity of the equipment also facilitates the incorporation of additional functions, such as an anti-freeze module, in cases where such are necessary.
In a preferred embodiment, the equipment further includes a fourth module, made up of all the control elements, and a fifth module which includes a pump for discharge of cleaning water to the toilet bowl.
Preferably, each module also includes at least some of the accessory elements of its components.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the second module is mounted on a supporting frame which is attached in a suitable location, and the first module is mounted on the second module by means of two side supports, the toilet bowl being mounted adjacent to the tank.
Thus, the module with the bowl and its outlet valve, which is one of the most prone to fail, can be easily removed for replacement.